New York is one of those incredible cities that you could live in and still never see all of.  The last time I went with my then boyfriend and there was a heavy emphasis on the NBA and the playoffs (yawn).  This time, visiting with a group of girls for my sister-in-law Rosa’s birthday I had much higher hopes of a more “Sex And The City” style break.  Well, we got the shoes and the shopping, but sadly cocktails were in short supply (mainly due to jet lag), so I still feel the need to go back there, if only to check out more bars and art galleries (someone’s gotta do it).

One of the great things about travelling with other people is that you often do things that you wouldn’t necessarily choose to do.  Sports are rarely at the top of my agenda but I did begrudgingly enjoy the excitement of the play offs.  This time, as my sister-in-law’s family is from Sicily, there was a heavy emphasis on visiting Little Italy and Ellis Island which so many Italian immigrants passed through (2.2 million to be exact and yes I do know this off by heart now!)  So this time I got to see a lot of the Italian influence on New York, and from this perspective it’s easy to see where a lot of the classic New York personality has come from... it’s a city renowned for great coffee, excellent pizza, working hard to succeed, a passion for good red meat, and if you ever dare try the cannoli at Rocco’s you’ll understand why there are soooo many gyms in Manhattan.

So, we started by hitting Century 21 - an outlet store - hard, only to discover that it was like a dodgy version of TK Maxx, then it was on to some light sightseeing, before I headed over to check out Tribeca and the Village - awesome places to soak up the vibe of Manhattan.  And I also discovered an awesome place to soak my feet - Sweet Lily - full marks for relaxation - but a less than average pedicure treatment.

That night we headed to the Boathouse in Central Park for a “Sex And the City” moment, only to discover that it was being picketed for some allegedly ungentlemanly behaviour on the part of the management.  So it was through the park, past several film crews (one is interesting, two starts to get annoying when they block your sightseeing!) and on to Strawberry Fields, a memorial to John Lennon and again something I wouldn’t have visited if it hadn’t been for Rosa.  As a quick backup we headed over to Rosa Mexicano (you see how I picked that out of the guidebook!) which I fell in love with.

Unfortunately for the second time I missed out on one of my sightseeing destinations...  If you’ve ever seen “Moonstruck” you’ve seen the stunning fountains in front of the Lincoln Centre lit up at night.  Last time I visited New York they were being renovated, this time they were switched off as they televised the opera for free in the square.  I did get to see them during the day, but I still would love to see them at night (oh well, another reason to go back to New York).

The next day, on Rosa’s birthday we did the bus tour - with fabulous commentary from our New York guide.  Definitely go with City Sights, and avoid Gray Line (they kindly let us on one of their buses when we were trying to finish the tour, but their guide was so bad we jumped off at the next stop - sorry guys!)  Oh and if you want to make it round go early, as the buses get packed after 4pm! 

We stopped off at Battery Park to take the boat to the Statue of Liberty which I think was the highlight of this trip - but it’s so hard to tell because there were soooo many! 

We also ran up the Brooklyn Bridge - beware of aggravated cyclists - I feel for them, but it’s no fun being yelled at!  If you are planning this sight, it’s incredible, but do not do it in the heat of the day as it’s a long walk from City Hall to the middle of the bridge where there are good views.  Next time I am definitely going to do this at sunrise or sunset!

Then it was home for quick change before heading out to Ellen’s Stardust Diner - a great one for the kids and Broadway fans, but with Arctic air conditioning and no marshmallow filling for their Whoopie pies (I have yet to try one, I feel like I’ll be cheating on cupcakes) it didn’t make my restaurant shortlist.

After dark we did a little wander looking for a view of the Empire State Building.  It’s so funny, you know it’s there, but hidden by all the other buildings.  It’s fun to stop and ask New Yorkers where you can see it, most of them have forgotten to look up!  Lit up in red, white and blue, we came, we saw it, we jumped in a cab and crashed.

The next morning I had just enough time to find coffee in a grocery store, and have my nails done in Noble Nails before heading back onto the subway to Chinatown and Little Italy.  While I slacked behind my sister-in-law and her sister scoffing the yumptious Red Bean Buns (hoorah) and coffee from the Fay Da Bakery, they were charging up Mulberry Street, the heart of Little Italy, which we only just glimpsed the last time I was in New York, looking for cannoli and stuff.

We got our cannoli eventually, but it was a long walk from Chinatown - all the way up Bleeker Street - until we got to our real destination... Carrie’s house.  Rosa was very happy, even though there’s now a sign asking people not to go on the steps and to keep the noise down, so I won’t reveal the location here!

That was enough group sightseeing for me and it was off to YeloSpa, a spa which specialises in naps(!) which I’d discovered online and was desperate to check out.  Yes, I was entertaining visions of bringing the concept to the UK... and there were some great things about it, and I think I needed that time out to rebalance, but all I could think about was how I would do things differently.  From there it was a stomp round the Upper West Side, or Midtown depending on which guidebook you look at, and a snarky look at the daytime Lincoln Centre fountains, before I abandoned the very hot day and went back to the Mansion for a cold shower and a twenty minute crash.

Then it was up to the top of the Rock - Rockefeller Centre and some great views.  If you love the Empire State Building then come here - you can watch the sun set over the ESB.  But if you love the Chrysler Building - head to the ESB, you’ll get a less obstructed view.

With wobbling legs we finally slogged over to Famiglia in Times Square, where, despite the slightly dubious fast food feel, they really do probably the best pizza I’ve tasted in New York (I’ve been to Joe’s Pizza which is often listed as the best pizza in New York and  I didn’t think it was all that) but you know I could have just been hungrier at Famiglia!

Then somehow it was our last day, and I was determined to try and squeeze in as many things on my own hit list as I could.  First I hit a real American diner for a big old pancake and syrup breakfast to make it through the Zumba Fitness class I had planned for later.  Then, with takeout coffee in hand I plonked myself on the bench opposite the Guggenheim and drank in the sight (another place that had been under construction when I visited New York last time).  Next time I might actually go in.

Sunday morning is rush hour for runners in Central Park; this is a place for serious training, around the reservoir or on the tarmac road which acts as a freeway for runners and cyclists.  Over to the Great Lawn where baseball teams were warming up and stretching (they look so professional compared to our local football teams) and to Belvedere Castle - yes there is a real mini castle in the middle of Central Park and the views are immense.  Sadly I couldn’t go inside the turret as it opens at 10am, but I’ll definitely be back.

There was just time to continue my search for the perfect New York cheesecake (I’d had one slice and it was disappointing), so I stopped into the Mark Hotel.  One great thing about posh hotels, and a tip you can certainly use in New York, is not to be afraid to use their concierge service (although it’s good manners to tip if they, for example, call and make a reservation for you).  (And sometimes even concierges get it wrong.)  The maitre d’ at the Mark very kindly looked up the best cheesecake in New York, apparently on the Upper East Side it’s Lady M.  Unfortunately although she gave me the address I only wrote down the street (79th and forgot to write down the avenue - see The Rest for more info on addresses and directions), sparking the great cheesecake hunt later in the day.

But I didn’t have time for cheesecake right then as I had an appointment - the Afro Fusion Burn Zumba Fitness class at Complete Body and Spa Midtown.  It might seem crazy to you to go for a workout on holiday, but it was such a great class and I realised I felt better than I had all week.  Forget the pedicure, manicure and nap session, a sweaty workout was the best spa treatment for me this time. 

Then it was just time to squeeze in a full week’s worth of shopping in the next two hours!  Next stop Tiffany & Co.  Although there is a shop in London, the greeter was quick to point out that this is the original store which boasts the Tiffany yellow diamond (worn by only two women in the world - one of them Audrey Hepburn).  Okay, so I didn’t go all that way to look at a diamond but it is seriously breathtaking.

And then the cheesecake hunt.  So I jumped in a cab.  New York cabs are great, much cheaper than London cabs, but they do usually demand the cross street, so when I told him the address was Lady M on East 79th the cab driver wasn’t impressed.  But I told him we’d stop for directions when we got close...  I have to say that New Yorkers are the most friendly and helpful people when it comes to helping tourists.  (Croatia is the only other place where I’ve found people as helpful.)  My favourite was walking into a residential building with a doorman.  He dived into an ancient store cupboard, brought out a Yellow Pages and found it for me - so sweet.  A quick spin around the block and I thought I’d do better on foot, but my cabbie was loath to leave me until we found the exact place.  (He was such a sweetie he even got my case out of the boot for me.)  Two very elegant New York girls were just crossing the street and kindly looked it up on an iPhone before I realised I was standing right in front of it!

Did I get the cheesecake?  You’ll just have to read the review to find out!

Then it was a long night of repacking, schlepping to the airport, the bumpiest flight ever, and London trains until my cab driver finally brought me to my door.  And once again made London cabbies top of the league table by not only lifting my case out of the car, but also carrying it up the stairs for me.  Awesome.